The Heroes Ball
by GreenLeoFiend
Summary: Sometime after the conclusion of Volume 1, the Heroes attend a Super Heroes themed costume ball.


**Notes and Spoilers:**_ Through** "Chapter 23 "How to Stop an Exploding Man."  
**Also contains some reference to** "Candid Chatter with Peter and Claire"**, but is not a true sequel._

**Dedication:**_ Inspiration is from a conversation with **SylarQuinto, **a friend, a fellow writer, and a fellow Heroes fan._

"Claire, I already told you, I'm not wearing my underwear outside my pants. It's not like I can just wear a cheerleader outfit and call it my Heroes gear, now can I? It's not fair."

Claire eyed her Uncle Peter, "Why are you so diligent on telling me that you won't wear your underwear outside your pants?"

"And why do you make that face when you say, seriously Claire "

"Now who is the one is saying 'Seriously'."

"It was once Claire. Seriously."

Claire rolled her eyes.

Peter rolled his eyes in return and then left to find a refreshment table.

Matt Parkman was there, holding a plastic cup of punch in one hand, and a powdered donut in the other.

Matt acknowledged Peter's presence with a slight nod.

Peter returned the nod."This wasn't fair" Peter thought. "Matt gets to wear a police officer outfit." He was starting to feel a little out of place here.

Matt rolled his eyes.

"Then put on a costume then," Matt told Peter telepathically. "I have to go back to my cliche and get another donut."

"Hmm," Peter thought. He grabbed a cookie off the table and a cup of punch and decided to inspect the rest of the party, and to see what others were wearing. The room was filled with people wearing super-hero outfits. Some people he knew, many he did not.

"Peter, I know the Family Brunch was something mom pulled out of her...out of mid-air but, you did know about this party before hand. Why are you wearing that stupid outfit?"

Peter sighed. "Stupid outfit? This isn't a campaign party Nathan, why are you wearing that suit?"

Nathan adjusted his tie, fixed a top button, and flattened out some stray wrinkles in his suit jacket.

"Excuse me, this suit is very appropriate Peter. We have an image we have to portray Peter. I wouldn't expect you to understand."

"Whatever "

"Yatta "

"Hiro ?" Peter and Nathan said together.

"Flying Man ? " Hiro shouted in return.

Peter looked over to Nathan. "When did the two of you meet?"

"October 4," Nathan replied.

"October 4?" Peter repeated.

"Yes, is there an echo?"

"Yatta "

Peter , Nathan, and Hiro turned to voice of the new visitor.

"October 4 is the day the day I met that Hiro "

"What? " Future Hiro. He turned to his younger self. "What are you doing here? We are going to cause a time rift? Aren't you supposed to be in Japan?

"Yes. I was, but I went back, 'Back to the Future' And what are you doing here? New York didn't blow up " Hiro turned to Peter and Nathan. "Or did it?"

Peter turned his brother. "Nathan flew me away."

Hiro smiled at Nathan, "I knew you weren't a villain. Ooh Waffles!"

Hiro made a run for the refreshment table.

As Hiro walked away, Peter sighed. "Even Hiro is wearing a costume. Is it a crime I didn't want to get into a cape and over the pants undies?"

Nathan shook his head, "No. If you did I might have had to drag you to the loony bin myself–Ooh it's Niki "

"Hey Niki I love your outfit," Nathan said, as he practically drooled over the skimpy outfit Niki was wearing.

"Calm yourself Nathan, or I might let Jessica out to play," Niki warned. "I'm a married woman."

Nathan started to open his mouth.

Jessica pressed a finger to Nathan's mouth, before pushing him against the wall. "Don't."

"Jessica release him. He's just a harmless flirt," Niki told Jessica from a nearby reflection.

After Jessica released Nathan, the two took off to the refreshment table.

Peter was amazed that table was pretty popular.

Nathan was still glaring at Niki.

"Nathan " Peter shouted.

Nathan rolled his eyes, "Peter, just because a man is on a diet, it doesn't mean he can't look at the menu."

Peter rolled his eyes back, "Well, Nathan, you splurged in Vegas.

Nathan smiled, "That I did "

Peter gasped, "Her? There is more connections than I thought "

"I thought you told me that Jessica was gone," DL shouted after he arrived to the party late, through the wall.  
Peter grinned, he wasn't wearing a costume either.

"Well, at least we wore a costume " Niki shouted.

"I already told you " DL responded. "I told you I'm not wearing tights. And you call that skimpy outfit a costume "

"Well you weren't complaining when we wore that the other night, now did you "

"You know Peter Petrelli," Hiro said, back from the refreshment table, a waffle in one hand, and some punch in the other, "In the future, you and Niki are together."

"Oh really?" Peter said intrigued. He wondered what Nathan thought about that.

_And there you have it. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, or punch... What are the masks we wear but extensions of ourselves? Can we truly deny who we are? And why wasn't I at this party? I might not have powers, but Molly calls me her second hero, and I sure got myself almost killed a few times over this darn list... _

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